


Cafeteria Mishaps

by Baroness_Blixen



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Season 6-ish, hurt-comfort-fluff, mulder just wants to help, scully is emotional, ust?, yogurt is involved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 11:14:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19392976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baroness_Blixen/pseuds/Baroness_Blixen
Summary: Scully has a mishap in the Hoover building cafeteria but luckily Mulder is there to help.





	Cafeteria Mishaps

Scully has sent him to find them a table in the cafeteria and reminded him, with a stern look, to secure them one where they’d be alone. As if anyone wanted to sit with them anyway. Mulder didn’t say that and just nodded. In the past, he’s caught Scully gazing almost longingly at other tables where a bunch of agents sat, clique-like, deep in conversation, laughing and eating together. Nowadays her eyes are only on him – and her food – with no regards to anyone else. 

He’s not complaining. 

If she wants to, she can spend as much time with other people as she wants to, including their fellow agents. Here or anywhere. Scully chooses to sit with him, spend time with him. Sitting there at their table for two, he can’t help but smile. He knows they’re being stared at on a daily basis. He hears what they say in hushed tones with that certain look. How he’s ruined Scully and her reputation. In moments of dark self-doubt, he recalls them and believes them. He knows what being associated with him costs. It costs too much. But Scully… she keeps coming back, keeps ignoring the looks, keeps staying by his side. 

Today, she is taking her sweet time. Mulder’s stomach rumbles as he eyes the burger in front of him. Scully won’t mind if he starts without her, but he’s determined to wait for her. How long does it take to get yogurt out of the fridge? He’s glad Scully stopped stirring bee pollen into it. These days it’s fresh fruit and sometimes, when she feels frisky, some granola. 

When he sees her red hair bob up and down, finally, he smiles. He watches her search for him, lifts his arm, and is amazed at her own small smile once she sees him. Watching her walk towards him is an indulgence he allows himself. Sometimes, anyway. Today is one of these days. Her hips sway, mesmerizing him. 

Scully is balancing the yogurt container in one hand, the bowl of fruit and granola in the other. If this was him, he thinks, as she comes closer and closer, he’d stumble over his own feet and humiliate himself. Not his Scully though. She’s beauty, she’s grace, she’s-

It happens quickly. Too quickly for Mulder to comprehend the scene as it plays out. One moment she’s walking towards him, the next there’s a loud splosh and Scully on her knees. The atmosphere in the cafeteria changes. The quiet, insistent chattering stops. There are only looks, some pitiful, some amused. Mulder’s chair scrapes against the floor as he rushes to her side.

“Scully?” He whispers and yet his voice sounds like a shout. 

“I’m fine.” She dabs at her face. The yogurt is everywhere, drip dropping from her nose, her hair. Someone somewhere giggles and disguises it as a cough. 

“This is so embarrassing,” she whispers, staring up at him. Her face is white and her blue eyes stand out. For a moment he forgets her discomfort. She looks so damn cute. As she licks her lips, he notices the tremble in her chin. 

“This is not too bad,” he says reassuringly, hoping it will help. Seeing her face, though, he knows he’s made it worse. The quiver becomes worse, her bottom lip joining in on the action. Any moment now and she’ll start crying. “Come on.”

“I can’t.”

“Did you hurt yourself?” How long have they both been kneeling on the floor now? It feels like eons. There are still eyes on them but with every passing moment, the tension eases. The other agents return to their lunches and their conversations. 

Scully shakes her head. “No, but… my face. I can’t- I just-” Mulder searches his pockets for a tissue and comes up empty. Quickly, he grabs a napkin from their table and hands it to Scully. “I can’t see anything,” she says, frustration apparent in her voice.

“I’ll do it.” Mulder takes the napkin from her and wipes her face with careful precision. They must be a spectacle; not that he cares. There’s too much yogurt in her hair, on her blouse; it’s everywhere. At least her face is visible again. “You no longer look like a ghost.” He smiles at her softly and she mouth a thank you at him. But she remains kneeling on the floor. 

“Is everyone looking at us?” Mulder stares at her. She’s never cared about that before. He looks around; everyone’s gone back to their own issues. It’s as if nothing has happened. It’s just them now and he shakes his head. “No one is looking. Come on.”

“Mulder, what about lunch?”

“We’ll think of something.” He helps her up and puts his hand on her back. Eyes shoot up again and he shields Scully from them as well as he can. Once they’re in the hall, away from prying eyes, he lets out a sigh. 

“How do I look?” Scully asks him. 

Cute. Adorable. Perfect as always. 

“That bad, huh?” She smiles at his speechlessness and he smiles back. Then, without warning, she starts crying. 

“Hey, hey,” he says, engulfing her in his arms, without a second thought. She smells like yogurt, like apple and berries, sweet and fresh. He doesn’t care that she’s smearing it all on his jacket. 

“I’m sorry,” she mumbles into his clothes.

He strokes her hair, wonders how long they can stand here without causing even more talk. “Why are you sorry?”

“I overreacted. I- this is not the end of the world. It’s just… some…,” she’s crying harder, her whole body shaking in his arms. Mulder whispers nonsense into her hair, perplexed as to why this bothers her so much. “It’s the… the…,” she sniffs, not getting out words.

“They will have forgotten about it at the end of the day, Scully,” he promises with a kiss against her temple. “Would it help if I made a fool out of myself in the cafeteria?” She’s shaking again but this time she’s laughing. 

“No,” she sighs. “I need to… the, uhm, the IVF is making me emotional,” she admits. Mulder loosens his grip on her. “Sometimes,” she adds, wiping at her eyes. “I’m still… learning to deal with it.” He mentally kicks himself. He should have known. 

Mulder licks his lip, swears he tastes yogurt and gives her a reassuring smile. "Let’s play hooky, Scully.“

"What?” She laughs at him. 

“You need a shower,” they both blush, “and new clothes. We also need to have lunch. Let’s play hooky, get some real food and then…,” he trails off, staring at her. 

“And then?” She presses. 

“Something fun,” Mulder croaks out. “We’ll do something fun.”

“Think we’ll find something fun we can agree on?” Scully chuckles and he’s relieved to hear the sound. His hand returns to its place on her back as he steers her towards the elevator. 

“You know me,” he says as the door opens, “I’m up for anything.” As long as it makes you happy, he thinks, smiling at her. As if hearing his thoughts, she smiles back.


End file.
